| In the first few Kinsey Milhone mysteries, Kinsey seems like a woman without a past. Gradually, we learn some details but by “O” in this alphabet series she still tries to avoid thinking about what went before and readers of the series know very little.
Then Kinsey acquires a box of memorabilia. Among the school report cards, the 9mm automatic her husband gave her as a wedding gift and the notes of her early cases she finds a letter from a friend that she never opened. The letter is a confession: the friend, Dixie, was having an affair with Kinsey's first ex-husband, Mickey Magruder. The letter also reveals that Dixie was with Mickey on the night Mickey was believed to have killed a drunk in a bar fight. Mickey asked Kinsey to cover for him, but she refused, thinking he really was guilty. Now she must face the fact that he was innocent, and she let him take the rap. Kinsey's quest for Mickey and the facts surrounding that 13-year-old murder bring her back into contact with old friends. She returns to the bar where they both hung out while they were married and discovers criminal activity that she must take to the federal authorities. She must also find out who shot Mickey at about the time she began looking for him. As she comes closer to finding the killer of Mickey's alleged victim and the person who shot Mickey, Kinsey places herself in increasing danger. In the final scenes, she comes close to becoming the next victim. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Challenging Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 40% Misc. Murder Plotlets - solving long-past murder - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 30 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Main Adversary Identity: - Male Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - California Small town? Yes Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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